Since 2001, the US has undertaken regime change in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya; all 3 countries are now in chaos and extremists are more in control than ever.

The WashingtonsBlog has taken a look into the current situation of several countries where the US has changed their governments and are now being threatened by extremist militants more than ever.

Iraq

In Iraq, hardcore extremists known as ISIL have taken over much of the country – as the new “Islamic State” or self-described caliphate – using captured American weapons.

Libya

Libya has also descended into absolute chaos. Al Qaeda is now largely in control of Libya. Indeed, Al Qaeda flags were flown over the Benghazi courthouse once former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi was toppled.

According to Amnesty International, the “mounting curbs on freedom of expression are threatening the rights Libyans sought to gain“. A repressive Gaddafi-era law has been amended to criminalize any insults to officials or the general national congress (the interim parliament).

Under militia rule, Libya is beginning to disintegrate.

One of the great perversities of the so-called war on terror is that fundamentalist radical forces have flourished as a direct consequence of it. Libya is no exception, even though such movements often have little popular support.

Ominously, Libya’s chaos is spilling across the region. The country is awash with up to 15 million rifles and other weapons, and a report by the UN panel of experts this month found that “Libya has become a primary source of illicit weapons“. These arms are fuelling chaos in 14 countries, including Somalia, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Niger.

There is a real prospect of the country collapsing into civil war or even breaking up. Unless there are negotiated settlements to its multiple problems, Libya will surely continue its descent into mayhem, and the region could be dragged into the mire with it.

28-year CIA veteran Paul Pillar – who rose to be one of the agency’s top analysts – wrote in May:

Saudi Arabia and several other Arab states have evacuated their diplomats from Libya, the United States is preparing for possible evacuation of US personnel, and the country appears on the brink of a larger civil war.

The intervention already has negatively affected US interests, particularly in providing a disincentive to other regimes to do what Gaddafi did in negotiating an end to involvement in terrorism and an end to production of unconventional weapons.

And things have only gotten worse since then.

It should be remembered that the US helped sew the seeds of chaos in several ways. Not only did we engage in direct military intervention against Gadafi, but also – as confirmed by a group of CIA officers –armed Al Qaeda so that they would help topple Gaddafi.)

Afghanistan

In Afghanistan opium production is at an all-time high under the American occupation of Afghanistan.

And the New York Times reports this week that the Taliban are currently making huge gains in Afghanistan … in some cases expanding even beyond their traditional areas of influence prior to 2001.